Josh Lyman, You're My Hero
by Pixie3
Summary: Josh takes Donna out to lunch after her disastrous date with the insurance lobbyist...


Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like to play with them for a little  
while and then return them relatively unharmed. I make no money off  
writing this, so no point in suing me! :)  
  
Feedback: Please! I love it!  
  
Archive: Sure, just ask first please! It'll also be available on  
http://www.pixies-bookshelf.com/fic/pfa.asp.  
  
Summary: Josh takes Donna out to lunch after her disastrous date with  
the insurance lobbyist.  
  
Notes: After "The Portland Trip", I figured Donna deserved to feel   
better, and Josh needed to make some amends. So, here's a little   
something I cooked up. Don't know if I got the insurance guy's  
name right, but I was going on memory. Hope you like it! Thanks to Anik  
and Kat for reading it and helping me with the characters! :)  
  
-----------------  
  
Donna moved the salad around on her plate for the tenth time since it  
had arrived, or at least that was by Josh's calculation.  
  
He had invited..no, dragged her out to lunch. She had been down on  
herself since her last date, the one with the insurance lobbyist, and he  
partially blamed himself. His words to her before she left for the date  
were like a set up for it to fail. Admittedly the guy turned out to be  
full enough of himself to help the failure all on his own, but it still  
bothered him to see Donna hurting like this. She was starting to get  
that look of 'I'll never find the right guy' in her eyes, so he felt it  
his duty to pull her out of this funk.  
  
"Donna, it's not going to eat itself," he teased.   
  
She looked up, giving him a half-hearted smile. "You sound like my  
mom."  
  
"Should I take that as a compliment?" Josh asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
The blond tried not to laugh, only to let out a giggle. The sound of  
her laughter, and minor evidence of a smile, made Josh feel better. Once  
she actually started to eat the food in front of her he relaxed even  
more.  
  
They ate in silence over the next few minutes, until Josh commented,  
"You know, we, uh, we should hang out more often."  
  
Donna looked at him again, amused by what he had said. "'Hang out'?  
Josh, we're not ten years old."  
  
He got flustered at her teasing. "You know what I mean. We should, I  
don't know, have dinner or something..."  
  
"We have dinner regularly," she countered.  
  
"I mean without work."  
  
Donna seemed a bit surprised at first, then a mischievous smile  
appeared. "You mean like a date?"  
  
Josh began to squirm in his chair, trying not to look at her. "Not  
exactly a *date*..."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"Just dinner."  
  
"So dinner can't be a date?"  
  
"Donna..." he began, looking her in the eye.  
  
"Oh gawd..." Donna started, interrupting Josh's response.   
  
She looked over his shoulder, then quickly looked down at her plate,  
as if attempting to not be seen. This of course had Josh incredibly  
curious, so he glanced behind himself, but only saw the usual crowd of  
Washington bureaucrats.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"That guy, the brunette in the pinstripe suit," she replied,  
indicating the person in question with a slight nod of her head.   
  
Josh turned around fully to look and saw over at the order counter a  
man in his late 20s, impeccably groomed, kind of slimy looking...  
  
"Is that the insurance guy?" he asked, turning back to face her.  
  
The blond's face turned pink. "Yes," she mumbled.  
  
"I can't believe it. How could you...?"  
  
"Okay, okay! I know, I was stupid to think something would come of  
that date. Let's just leave it and not call attention to ourselves,  
okay?"  
  
He couldn't stop a smile from creasing his features. "Sure, no  
problem." He ate some more of his lunch before asking, "Can I tease you  
about it later?"  
  
Donna's head shot up and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. She opened  
her mouth to retort, but then suddenly her expression fell and she  
groaned, "Oh no..."  
  
Josh glanced over his shoulder once again and saw that Mr. Insurance  
Man was headed their way, a big smile on his face.  
  
"Just be nice, okay Josh? I kind of haven't returned his calls."  
  
"You haven't returned his calls? Didn't you tell him that you weren't  
going out with him again?"  
  
"Well...not in so many words. It's tough to get a word in edgewise  
when someone is so concentrated on themselves."  
  
He laughed aloud, annoying Donna once again.  
  
"This is *not* funny, Josh!"  
  
"Oh yes it is."  
  
"Hey there, Donna! Never thought I'd meet up with you again. Hi, I'm  
Todd, Todd Lyons," the man stated, holding out his hand to Josh while he  
stared at Donna.  
  
She shifted uncomfortably at the intensity of his look, which didn't  
get past Josh. He took the other man's hand and gave it a firm shake,  
drawing the insurance man's gaze to him.  
  
"You've got a really good grip there, killer," he joked, barking out a  
laugh.  
  
Josh smiled tightly at the joke. "Yeah, well, you're only as good as  
your handshake."  
  
Todd nodded in agreement, then returned his attention to Donna. "So, I  
guess you haven't gotten my calls?"  
  
"I've been so busy at work, I haven't had time for much of anything  
really."  
  
"Yeah, I had to drag her out to lunch. She's quite the worker bee,"  
Josh pitched in, much to Donna's relief. Donna threw him a grateful  
look.  
  
"Should talk to that boss of yours if he's being such a slave driver."  
  
Donna pursed her lips together and shared a look with Josh. He shifted  
in his chair to get a better look at Todd.  
  
"I don't think I'm much of a slave driver."  
  
Todd looked down at Josh, then back at Donna, who nodded. The other man  
laughed it off, slapping Josh on the shoulder, much to Josh's dislike.  
  
"That'll teach me for shooting my mouth off!" He paused, then glanced  
back at the blond. "So, when do you want to get together next?"  
  
Donna stopped the grimace that threatened to take over her expression  
and instead looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Todd, but I'm not really  
interested in another date."  
  
Lyons looked disbelieving. He leaned on the table toward Donna. "Come  
on. We can go wherever you want."  
  
"She said she's not interested," Josh reinforced.   
  
Todd glanced at Josh, a smarmy expression on his face. "What, you her  
dad or something?"  
  
"No, I'm her friend. Now I suggest you leave before I become less than  
friendly with *you*."  
  
The other man snorted, but straightened himself up and left. Josh  
watched him leave, then turned back to see Donna's expression full of  
surprise.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sometimes you are the sweetest guy," she commented, making Josh  
blush.   
  
"Josh Lyman, you're my hero," she said, grinning widely.   
  
Josh's response was to throw a roll at her.  
  
THE END  
  



End file.
